Stephen A. Smith has once again become the focal point of controversy.
This week, Stephen A. Smith faced backlash for remarks he made regarding the Miami Dolphins, drawing the ire of Tyreek Hill in the process.
During a recent episode of ESPN’s “First Take” on Tuesday, the show explored the question of whether Tua Tagovailoa should be considered the clear frontrunner for the NFL MVP award after the first six weeks of the season. In response to this query, Smith took the opportunity to commend Hill for his remarkable ability to make explosive plays as a wide receiver. Smith emphasized how Tagovailoa merely needed to deliver the ball two yards to Hill, who then took over and executed the rest of the play.
As Smith offered his analysis, ESPN aired a series of clips showcasing Tagovailoa’s pinpoint deep throws to Hill. We’ll delve deeper into those later.
In his most recent “It Needed to Be Said” podcast episode, Hill responded to Smith’s remarks, suggesting that Smith evidently hasn’t been closely following the Miami Dolphins.
“If he really just watched the games and watch how we play, none of our routes are really like 2 yards, you feel me? Quarterback is like the hardest position in the league,” Hill said. “For a guy to even be considered (an MVP candidate), that’s next level. For Stephen A. Smith to go out of his way and say Tua isn’t worthy of being an MVP is crazy to me.
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If you look at, besides Lamar Jackson, all of the past MVPs, they had guys. They had receivers to throw the ball to. Just because a guy has talent around him and he’s succeeding doesn’t mean he’s not worthy of being a candidate for MVP.”
Hill also expressed his frustration by stating, “I’m fed up with people needlessly criticizing my quarterback.” He clarified that his sentiment extended beyond just Smith’s comments.
During Thursday’s episode of “First Take,” Smith asserted that his comments about Hill had been misinterpreted and taken out of context. Fellow ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky challenged Smith for giving the impression that Tagovailoa merely passed the ball to Hill, and Hill did all the work. Smith maintained that his intention was simply to draw a comparison between Hill and other exceptional wide receivers in the game.
Even if Smith’s intention was to commend Hill, the timing of his analysis raised eyebrows, as ESPN’s ticker displayed “Is Tua the clear-cut NFL MVP right now?” This juxtaposition made it appear as though Smith was detracting from Tagovailoa’s achievements.
Tagovailoa benefits from a formidable receiver duo in Hill and Jaylen Waddle, and the Dolphins also boast explosive playmakers in their running backs, such as Raheem Mostert and rookie De’Von Achane. These factors should not diminish Tagovailoa’s impressive stats of 1,876 passing yards and 14 touchdown throws.
Some might argue that Tagovailoa’s success is a result of Mike McDaniel’s outstanding offensive system. The head coach expressed his stance on this narrative earlier in the week.
As long as the Dolphins continue to secure victories, there should be less scrutiny directed at Tua. Just let the guy do his job.
